


My Friend, My Lover, My Enemy

by nchorsemama



Category: Daryl Dixon- Fandom, Michonne - Fandom, Rick Grimes- Fandom, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Enemies, F/M, Hate, Heartbreak, Love, Pregnancy, Walker perspective, devastation, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22160542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nchorsemama/pseuds/nchorsemama
Summary: This piece was created for a writing challenge. Pick a pair of walking dead characters and tell their story, were they friends, lovers, or enemies. This was something new that I tried and wasn't sure I could pull it off.  I'm pleased with the responses I got from my readers in my writing groups. I'm so happy it did not happen on the show this way, although our beloved family doesn't know that yet. Please let me know what you think of it.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon - Relationship, Michonne - Relationship, Rick Grimes - Relationship
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	My Friend, My Lover, My Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was created for a writing challenge. Pick a pair of walking dead characters and tell their story, were they friends, lovers, or enemies. This was something new that I tried and wasn't sure I could pull it off. I'm pleased with the responses I got from my readers in my writing groups. I'm so happy it did not happen on the show this way, although our beloved family doesn't know that yet. Please let me know what you think of it.

My Friend, My Lover, My Enemy

Rick woke up on a bend of the river’s bank. He couldn’t move. His whole body hurt. He stared up into the canopy of the tree leaves trying to remember what happened. He had no idea how or why he was here. He lifted his head to see his blood soaked, shirt and pants. What happened he wondered again as he closed his eyes to think.  
The one thing he was sure of… well pretty sure of, was that he was dying. He had no idea how long he laid there or even what time of day it was. He willed himself to get up and go home for help. But which way was home? He couldn’t think straight. It took him several attempts to get up the river’s bank, then he headed through the thick foliage of the forest. He barely felt the thorns and briars ripping at his exposed skin and threadbare shirt. With no sense of time or direction, he just kept walking. Surely, they would be looking for him, right? If he could only remember.

*********************************

Michonne was inconsolable. One minute he was there, and the next he was gone. Carol and Maggie held on to her to keep her back from all the walkers currently walking off the edge of the exploded bridge.

*********************************

Rick found a shack and prayed it was empty. He didn’t have any strength to fight, his 3 year old could take him down right now. Judith…Michonne….. He needed to be with them, he needed to find them. Just a little rest, that’s all he needed to help him think clearly. He reached for his colt. His hand came up empty. He looked down. His gun was gone. When had he lost it? If he went back, could he find it? He just didn’t have the strength. 

He opened the door and waited. He was so light headed and ready to collapse. He stepped inside and closed the door and waited for his bleary eyes to adjust to the dim interior. He was saturated with blood. He had no idea how he was still standing. He found a filthy sheet and ripped it up to wrap around himself to stop the bleeding. But he knew it was too late.  
In one of the cupboards he found a glass jar with clear liquid in it. He collapsed in a chair and twisted the lid off bringing to his nose to smell. Then he took a sip and felt it going all the way down to his stomach. If this was how he was gonna go out, at least he could go out drunk. After a while he wasn’t really feeling any more pain. He looked down to see the blood soaking through the sheet strips binding him. After drinking the whole jar, he closed his eyes. Maybe he could rest now and find help tomorrow. That was his last thought.

**********************************

Michonne hadn’t slept or eaten in days. Daryl was out there looking for Rick. She should be out there with him. Everyone told her no, that he was blown up in the explosion. She made a decision to go out before dawn while everyone was still sleeping. It had already been 3 days. She needed to find his body and bury him next to Carl.

It was still dark when she left Alexandria. No one at the gate or on the wall questioned her. She was pretty much in charge now. She and Rick had worked together to lead Alexandria. Oh, they had their council, but she was in charge of security.

She started at the blown bridge and walked the bank, katana in hand, at the ready. She was checking every dead walker lying on the rivers bank.

“Hey.” Michonne turned at hearing Daryl’s voice.

“You don’t need to be out here. I’m still looking, and I’ll never stop until I find him. Are you okay?”

“No.” She answered him honestly.

“I’ll find him Michonne.” And then Daryl was gone.  
She hadn’t told anyone she was pregnant. Not even Rick. It was supposed to be a surprise. Now she didn’t feel that she could tell anyone before she told Rick. She needed to find him and tell him. Dead or alive. He needed to be the first to know. She placed a hand on her belly, that was just beginning to show. Not enough for others to know. Just her and her lover if she could find him. The sun was getting hot. She decided to go home and try again tomorrow.

“Mommy!” Judith cried when she saw her. Michonne picked her up and held her close. She was all Judith had now. First Lori, then Carl, and now….. she couldn’t even bring herself to think it. She had to find him. She had to know. She would go out again before dawn everyday, until…  
“Thank you, Maggie, was she any trouble?”  
“Not at all, she was a big help with Hershel.”  
Maggie and baby Hershel were staying with Michonne right now. No one felt that she should be alone so they devised a schedule to have someone stay with her at all times. At least for the time being. She needed to grieve, but she still held out hope.  
After making it through another day without him, she put Judith to bed then went to bed herself. She didn’t feel like talking as Maggie wanted to do. Instead she crawled into their bed and held his pillow tight, breathing in deeply to smell his scent for comfort.

*************************************

Rick woke with a start. He was feeling no pain. That moonshine he drank last night carried quite a punch. What woke him? Hunger. That’s what it was … hunger. There! He smelled it. Food. He focused and then he saw it. A rat on the table where he sat. He reached out and grabbed it. He brought to his mouth belly first and took a big bite. He never felt the claws scratching at his face, or the teeth biting at his lips. All he felt was the hunger and how good it smelled. When finished, he looked down at himself. The bright red of yesterday was now a brownish black. Had he any blood left? His clothes were now a dark brown? He needed to go get help before the pain consumed him again. He needed to get back to Michonne and Judith and Daryl, all of his people. He hoped the doc could patch him up. He needed to get up and go, to look for his people, his home.  
He stood and made his way to the door. It was open, hadn’t he remembered to close it? He was one lucky son of a bitch that no walkers came in and got him. He stepped out onto the porch it was still dark. Before he knew what happened he was on the ground, face first. How did he miss the steps? He wondered?  
He looked up at the noise. Shit walkers! He grabbed for his colt. Yet his hand held nothing. He looked down and his holster was empty. He looked, searched, for anything to help him and came up with nothing. The dead walked right past him. Never even spared him a glance. Did he have walker blood on him? He couldn’t remember. Too much drink last night. But it took away the pain. Who was he to complain?  
He got himself to his feet and began to walk. He had no idea of the time, other than it was still dark. Good. It gave time to make his way home before the heat of the Virginia sun beat him down.  
So, he walked. His family was waiting, Michonne and Judith, Daryl was waiting, his people were waiting. And he needed a doctor.

*************************************

Michonne jerked awake with the sound of the explosion. She looked around. She was in bed, their bed, alone. It was just a dream. A reoccurring nightmare more like. She was breathing hard, tears streamed down her face. He wasn’t dead, he wasn’t! She just had to find him. She got up and took a shower. It reminded her of when they would get up in the middle of the night and shower together. She used his gel it reminded her of him. She cried some more. The spray of the shower washed her tears down the drain.  
She dressed and went downstairs, she was packing a few protein bars into her satchel when the light in the kitchen flipped on.  
She turned to see Maggie. She sighed as she continued to pack some bottled water.  
“Where are you going? It’s not even dawn yet.”  
“I can’t sleep. I’m just going out for a while.”  
“Michonne….”  
“Maggie don’t…..just don’t…..” And she walked out to make her way to the gates and outside the walls.  
As she walked to pick up where she left off yesterday, she opened a protein bar to eat. Not because she was hungry, because she wasn’t. It was for the baby, Rick’s baby, that she was carrying inside her. She rested her hand on her stomach as she walked, ever vigilant for any walkers that may be about.  
She checked every body she came across. The sun came up and she continued on her quest. She didn’t count the number of bodies she came across or the number she had to put down. But none of them were Rick.  
With the sun shining, her eye caught the on a glint of metal halfway down the rivers bank. It was embedded in the mud. She dug it out and her tears fell. It was Rick’s python. She used her hands to wipe off the mud and held it to her, like it was her lover.

***************************************

Rick had no idea how long he’d been walking. He was hungry. He tripped on a tree root and fell flat on his face. A squirrel scampered by and he reached out grabbed it. It smelled so good and he was starved. He didn’t bother with getting up he ate it where he laid.  
He heard a noise, A cry?  
He got to his feet and listened. Then moved toward it. He knew he needed help, a doctor. He had to find someone.  
As he exited the tree line, he saw her, Michonne. His beautiful Michonne.  
“Michonne!” He screamed and reached out. Though the word never left his mouth. She must have heard him though, for she looked across the river right at him.  
It was a look of horror on her beautiful face.  
“I know it looks bad! But I’m here. I need the doc Michonne!” He yelled and again it failed to come out of his mouth. What was wrong with him?  
“Please honey! I need help!” Nothing, no words, but that look and now tears. Her hands covered her stomach. She wasn’t the squeamish type. He didn’t understand.

“Noooooo” was her keening cry. “Please God, nooooo.” A raging river separated them. He can’t be! Not Rick! Not her Rick! She couldn’t deal with this. This was not the plan. She never got to tell him about their baby. How would she go on and survive without him? She turned away and ran. She ran as fast as she could. This was a dream, a horrible nightmare that she would wake up from at any moment.  
Oh God, his beautiful blue eyes that could be so intense at times, and turn almost black with lust when they were alone together, that sparkled when he played with Judith, that wept tears of grief when he lost Carl, they now had a milky film overlaying them, seemingly lifeless.  
“No! Wake up!” She yelled out, she needed to wake up from this horrible nightmare. She slowed as she saw she was coming up on about a dozen walkers. She pulled out her katana. She didn’t wait for the walkers to come to her, she went on the attack. She screamed with every slice, every lopped head. It was pure adrenaline she was running on. RAGE, it was all consuming rage. She was a killing machine. How dare this shit world take from her the man she loved? The father of her unborn baby? Her screams drew more walkers to her, she was fine with that. Bring em on!

************************************

Rick woke with a start. He was on the forest floor leaning against a tree. He was hungry. What woke him? There is was again. The smell of food. It was a snake slithering across his lap. He grabbed it and brought it to his mouth, never feeling the fangs sink into his skin time and time again. It was dark and he was just waiting. Waiting. What was he waiting for? He couldn’t remember. He’d eat first it would come to him.

*****************************************

Michonne went straight to her bedroom when she returned to Alexandria and closed and locked her door. She laid on her bed holding Rick to her, or rather his pillow. Her mind refused to accept what she had seen. She couldn’t or wouldn’t tell a soul. She just couldn’t let anyone put him down but her. Not even Daryl. Daryl always did the dirty for everyone, but not this time, he was hurting as bad as she was. She’d not put this on him. This burden would be hers alone. She’d let him know afterwards. He’d need to see him for himself she knew. He’d never accept anyone’s word. She wished she could tell him now. She needed the support but she knew him well, he’d take the burden from her onto himself and he’d had enough burden in this lifetime. No, this was on her. He was hers, he was theirs, Oh God, how could she do this? 

Maggie stood outside Michonne’s bedroom door and listened. She could hear Michonne crying. Finally, she thought to herself. Finally, she was grieving. She went downstairs to make dinner, but first she wanted to let everyone know that Michonne had finally began the grieving process. Maybe her predawn outings would now end.  
She took both Judith and Hershel to the council meeting. She told them about Michonne. Daryl came up, or rather his absence did. They knew he was hurting too. And were worried about him. Daryl had always been a loner. Rick was the bridge. The anchor. Now Rick was gone. Would they lose Daryl too? They were afraid that they may.

*****************************************

Rick got up, he was still hungry, and it was still dark. He felt the need to wait, but why? He could hear the river calling to him and walked toward it. Nothing seemed familiar, yet he felt the need to wait. He caught a scent and lifted his nose to it. Blood. It smelled so good. He was so hungry. He went toward the smell. There were three of them, they’d taken down a deer. He had to have some, he couldn’t resist it, so he joined them in their feast, with no thoughts of waiting anymore.

*************************************  
Michonne was in a fitful sleep. She dreamt of Rick, how they had met. How she’d had to prove herself over and over before he trusted her and they became friends. She’d bonded to Carl first and loved that child as if he were her own. The dream shifted to the night they became lovers. What a surprise it was to both of them. But it just felt right. She was reliving the feel of his weight on top of her, and relished in it. He was biting her neck she opened her eyes to see his milky glazed over ones staring down at her. She began to fight, to fight for her very life. She woke, her body drenched with sweat, her breathing was heavy, her knife that she slept with under her pillow was now in her hand. Rick’s pillow now laid dead beside her with several stab wounds. She dropped her knife and grabbed the pillow to her covering her face so she could scream at the unfairness of it all without waking anyone. There would be no more sleep for her this night. She showered, dressed, and left Alexandria. She needed to put him down.

Michonne was shaking as she neared the river. The dawn had just broke and the sun was coming up. She could hear more than one of them. She searched the other side of the river and saw him. He was with the other walkers they were eating at a carcass. Her hand went to her stomach in a protective manner. He started as her friend, then became her lover, and now…. and now … he was her enemy. She couldn’t stop the cry of calling his name.  
“Rick!” It was a mournful call, a call of utter grief, as if part of her were dying, and it was. They all turned at the cry and stood up and began coming forward. Her beloved Rick stood still with his head cocked, like she’d seen him do hundreds of times. It startled her. Her eyes were wide and unblinking.  
The others were almost to the river banks edge. Yet he stood there as if he were staring at her like he knew her. She told herself that her mind was just playing tricks on her. Was it?

*************************************

Rick heard the cry and looked up. There she was. Did he know her? He felt like he should know her. Was he waiting for her? Why? As he watched the other three he was with, they dropped off the river banks edge and plummeted into the rushing water. They were being carried down stream. He wondered where they were going. Should he follow them? Were they going to another feast? Why did he feel the need to wait? Was it her? He reached a hand out to her hoping she would tell him. He took a step toward her.

Michonne glanced at the three walkers that had fallen into the river, they were being carried down stream by the rushing water. Her Rick still stood where he was looking at her. Why hadn’t he come after her like the others? She knew she needed to put him down, yet her feet wouldn’t move. They were cemented where she stood with tears streaming down her face, she realized she couldn’t, she just couldn’t do it, at least not today. She watched as he raised an arm out to her, teeth gnashing away as if he were trying to speak to her. He wasn’t, she knew that. He took a step toward her and she turned and ran. She’d do it tomorrow she promised herself. Yes, tomorrow.

************************************  
She ran into Daryl on her way home. She wanted to tell him. To tell him everything, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It had to be her. He looked so lost without him. He looked as if he was carrying the guilt of the world on his strong shoulders, he looked….broken. No, she couldn’t ask him for help, he was going through enough already. When it was done, she’d ask for his help to bury him. So he could see him one last time, and have closure.

Daryl stopped when he saw Michonne. She appeared to be headed back home. She was wiping at her eyes and it was killing him. These days it was hard looking into those eyes that had a way of boring into you. He could see the pain she carried at the loss in them. He didn’t know how to comfort her when he was dying inside himself. So, he chose to stay away. As he waited for her to catch up to him, he noticed her hand on her stomach again. Was she sick? Was it the never ending grief? He needed to find Rick. He needed to at least give her that. Closure.

“Are you alright?” He asked her as he did every time he saw her.  
“No.” Her answer was still the same.  
“What about you?” She asked him.  
“No, I won’t be until I find him, I’ll never stop looking.” Was his answer.

She should have told him right then and there, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. They parted ways. But this time they hugged and held onto each other for just a moment of much needed comfort.

***********************************

Rick stopped and watched her run away, wondering where she was going. The breeze shifted and all thoughts of her disappeared. Blood. He was hungry, he went back to his feast.

*************************************

Maggie dropped Judith and little Hershel off with Aaron to spend the day with Gracie. She needed to confront Michonne. Her behavior of going outside the walls in the dark needed to stop. She was a capable fighter, but she was grieving and that could cause her to lose her life, if she was out there distracted, when she needed to be sharp. She went back to the house and laid in wait of her return.

**************************************

Michonne tried to give herself a pep talk on the way home. She was a strong woman, she could do this. She had to, one of these times he may not be there anymore, and then what?”  
She walked through the gate without so much as a word to anyone and went straight to the house. Their house, the one she shared with Rick.

Maggie was on her as soon as the door closed shut.  
“This needs to stop Michonne.”  
“Not now Maggie.” She said storming past her into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. Maggie was on her heels, this needed to be said.  
“You’re being reckless Michonne. Your grief has you acting out. You’re going to get hurt or possibly even killed if you don’t stop this behavior. Think of Judith! She’s lost a Mother, a brother and now her father! All she has left is you! You don’t eat, you don’t sleep, you go out everyday alone like you have a death wish. Do you have a death wish Michonne?”  
“You have no idea what I’m going through, so get off your high horse Maggie and just leave me alone.”  
“I don’t have any idea what you’re going through? Did you just say that to me? You! Who still has the man that killed my Glenn alive, eating, sitting in a cell not two houses away from here?”  
Michonne was shocked she said such a thing to Maggie. She wished she could take it back.  
“Maggie, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that.”  
“I know you didn’t mean it I was hateful for a long time I do know what you’re going through.”  
In that moment, Michonne wanted to tell Maggie everything, to share it all with someone who’d been through it. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Maggie would try to stop her and get someone else to take care of it. It had to be her she was the one who needed to do it. She placed her hand unconsciously on her belly. Maggie didn’t miss the movement. She went to the stove and scooped out a bowl of the hearty stew she’d made and put it on the table.  
“Sit, eat. Your body is hungry, that’s why your stomach hurts.” Michonne removed her hand from her stomach and sat down thankful she didn’t know the truth. But she was right.  
Michonne did begin to eat, not out of hunger, but necessity. Her baby, Rick’s baby needed the food to survive, and she needed this baby, this part of him that was still alive, growing inside her.  
“How did you get over Glenn, Maggie?”  
“I haven’t, I don’t think I ever will. But then I look at little Hershel and I see him. Or he’ll do something that reminds me of him, and I’ll surprise myself by smiling. It never goes away, we learn to live with it, we look at our children and see them. It helps, because through them they’re not completely gone. Do you know what I mean? When you look at Judith, does she remind you of him? The loss may be to fresh right now but it will happen Michonne, trust me, it’ll happen.”  
“Thank you.” She said to Maggie, truly meaning it. When she finished, she hugged Maggie and told her she was going to bed to try to get some rest. And she did need the rest because tomorrow she had to put her lover, her daughter’s father, Daryl’s best friend and brother, and the leader that had been so strong holding them all together for so many years, she had to put Rick down.

She closed and locked her bedroom door. She didn’t want any visitors, anyone bothering her. There would be time for that tomorrow after the deed was done. She peeled off her sweaty clothes and got in the shower. She felt numb. She stayed there until the water ran cold. She wrapped herself in a towel and sat on the edge of their bed.  
She picked up Rick’s pillow that she had so viciously killed last night and held it to her.  
“I’m so sorry Rick. I’m so sorry that you died out there alone with none of us beside you.”  
She curled up in a ball clutching his pillow against her, and fell into a fitful sleep.

When next she woke, she felt an overwhelming sadness engulf her. She looked at the clock on the nightstand. 1:14. She’d been in bed almost six hours only it felt as though just minutes had past.  
In a matter of hours her beloved Rick would be gone, forever from this world, from her.  
He’ll be with Carl they’ll be together again. She tried to tell herself. It wasn’t helping. She still felt Carl’s loss as if it happened yesterday, now she was going to lose Rick. Oh, she knew he was already gone. She knew that wasn’t him out there, what she didn’t know was why it was so hard for her to put him down. She didn’t want him roaming the earth as one of them, and he certainly wasn’t coming back from this.  
Why was she so weak? It must be the baby, his baby. The baby she hadn’t had the chance to tell him about before all this happened. The baby growing inside her that he’d never see.  
Stop it! She screamed inside her head. She dried her tears and got dressed. She folded up the sheet from their bed. It smelled of both of them. She’d wrap her man in it…after. She hoped it will give him comfort as he left this world.  
There was no going back to sleep for her. She had a hole to dig. Judith would not be seeing her father’s body, but she would have a place to come visit as she did with her brother. As her and Rick’s child would.  
She packed everything she would need and stopped in the garage and got the shovel and a pair of gloves. She made her way to Carl’s grave and then….she finally told someone. She spilled it all to Carl as she dug Rick’s grave. All about Rick, about the baby, about how lost she really felt. She told him that she hadn’t been strong enough to put him down but that today was the day. She told him about Daryl, and how she just couldn’t put this one on him. He was broken enough right now. She reminded him how much she missed him, and loved him still.  
When she finished she sat beside Carl’s grave marker.  
“I’m bringing him home today, Carl. For all of us. He’ll be here right beside you, by the end of a day. She allowed herself to cry a little more, before getting up a heading out. She didn’t want Maggie trying to stop her, not that she could but, why make things harder right now when it would be done by days end. She forced herself to get up and she left.

*******************************************

Rick was walking aimlessly in circles. A breeze picked and a smell grabbed his attention. He followed it.

******************************************

Daryl heard a noise and went to investigate. It was Michonne. She was wiping away tears and it was tearing him up inside. He needed to find Rick. He needed to do it for the both of them. She was walking the same path that been walking for the last couple days. He puzzled over it and decided to follow her today to see where it was that she was going every day. He was quite a distance away, but he knew he could track her.

****************************************

Michonne slowed as she was getting closer to the river. She wasn’t going to turn and run today. She was just overwhelmed with sadness. As she reached the river and looked across, she didn’t see him. She didn’t know whether to panic or feel relief. She wanted it to be relief but it was more panic. Had she waited too long?  
The river appeared to be a lot more calm today. Was that a sign? Should she attempt to cross and go look for Rick? She had to find him today! She just had to. She’d promised herself. She’d promised Carl.

******************************************

The smell was getting stronger as he followed. He couldn’t stop if he wanted to.  
The smell, it was overwhelming, it was all consuming, it was overpowering his every thought. He had to have it, had to get to it, had to reach it. Nothing else mattered.  
Then he spotted it. The smell. It was within reach. He could see it. He needed it.  
As he looked at it, he could almost taste it, he was blinded by the delicious smell. He reached out for it and tumbled down the river’s bank and into the water.  
He stood up and he could still smell it, more powerful than before. He was close. It would be his. 

Michonne saw him as soon as he came out of the tree line. Her eyes welled in relief or panic, again she wasn’t sure. He was fixated on her though. There was no hesitation in his steps, no head tilt as if he was thinking. He was coming straight for her as they always did. He fell over the river banks edge and into the water, but that didn’t stop him. The river seemed calm today.  
She pulled her katana as she watched his progress to get to her side of the river. She couldn’t stop her cries of grief. The pain was just too much to hold back.

******************************************

Daryl heard the cries and began to run. He was close. When he came out to the trees, it was to see Michonne with her katana in hand waiting as Ricks walker head popped up over the embankment.  
Daryl felt every emotion whirl through his body at once. Denial, grief, love, loss, anger. It was a gamut of emotions. His tears couldn’t be stopped. He loaded his crossbow and raised it.  
“Michonne!” He called out to her. She jumped at the intrusion and turned to see Daryl with his crossbow up and ready.  
“Noooo!” She cried out.  
“It has to be me Daryl! It has to be me! Please!”  
Daryl didn’t want to. He didn’t want this burden put on her. It was her face though. Her face that was begging him to understand. It had to be her. He dropped his bow just as Rick got to his feet at the top of the bank. Rick was fixated on Michonne so Daryl made his way around and behind him.

***************************************

As soon as Rick stood up, Michonne readied herself to do the hardest thing that she’d ever done. When he was within five feet of her. Daryl grabbed his arms from behind, and held him in place. Michonne stepped forward and looked into his eyes for anything, anything at all that would tell her he was still in there. He wasn’t. His teeth gnashed together making that chilling sound that you never wanted to hear. Michonne looked at Daryl’s heartbroken face. She was glad he was here with her. They would do this together.  
Michonne readied her Katana to come up under the chin and then up through his lifeless brain. She looked to Daryl once more. He nodded his head.  
“I love you Rick, we’re going to have a baby, I wanted you to be the first to know.” Then she brought her blade up and ended his life. Daryl slowly lowered him to the ground. His grief felt unbearable.  
Michonne was pregnant.  
They sat in silence beside him for a few minutes, both trying to deal with it all. Then they were both openly crying. The ugly crying that you never wanted anyone to see. It couldn’t be helped, they couldn’t stop.  
Daryl reached for Michonne hand, he needed to borrow some of her strength. Michonne held on to his hand like it was her only lifeline. They didn’t know how long they stayed like that.  
Michonne was the first to speak after a long while.  
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you Daryl. I wanted to. But I knew you want to put him down for me, because that’s who you are. You take so many burdens upon yourself to spare others the pain. I needed to be one to do this for you, and me. You love Rick as much as I do. It couldn’t be you. I was going to come and find you when it was done. I knew you’d have to see him for yourself to believe it, just as I needed it.”  
“I woulda done it.”  
“I know, that’s why I didn’t tell you.”  
“How long have you known?”  
“Three days.”  
“You’re gonna have a baby? A little Rick Jr.?”  
“Or a little girl, so start thinking of some names.” She tried for a smile, it was a little wobblily.  
“He would have been happy.” He told her.  
“I know.”  
“I’m glad we were together, here, now, with him.” Daryl said.  
“Me too.” She gave his hand a squeeze.  
“He died all alone, Daryl.” She said and broke down crying again.  
Daryl wrapped her in his arms and they cried for him some more. They just held on to each other to get the comfort they needed that Rick didn’t get.  
They spent a couple hours with him just the two of them. They needed it.  
“It’ll be getting dark soon, we need to get back.” Daryl said.  
They wrapped his body in the sheet that Michonne had taken off their bed, and Daryl lifted Rick on to his shoulder. Michonne carried his bow and they headed back to Alexandria.  
The walk home was slow and yet uneventful. Not a walker in sight. Other than the one Daryl was carrying.  
Michonne told him about how she almost believed that he was still inside, like when he tilted his head and appeared to be looking at her, and how the other walkers tried get to her and he stood in place.  
“I know it was just wishful thinking, but…I couldn’t seem to be able to put him down. It took me three days.”  
“You don’t need to be out here anymore, you need to keep that baby safe.” Daryl told her.  
“Yes, sir.” Michonne gave him a salute which made him crack a smile.  
“Can you stay for a while?” She asked him.  
“I’ll stay long enough to bury him and spend a little time with little ass kicker.”  
“I already dug his grave, it’s right beside Carl. I told Carl all about it, he’s waiting for him.” Daryl just looked at her.  
“Alright.”  
“Maybe you can just spend the night, just one night, for Judith.”  
“Alright.”  
“Thank you, Daryl.”

It was dark by the time they arrived. Aaron rushed to the gate when he heard the shout. When the gate opened and he saw Daryl carrying a body, he knew. He tried to relieve Daryl to carry Rick, but Daryl wouldn’t have it and refused. Aaron knew where they were headed because he’d seen the newly dug hole. He knew all day who it was for, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.  
Aaron tried, but they didn’t want any help with burying him either. He was theirs, Michonne and Daryl’s. He left them alone to take care of Rick.  
He called an emergency council meeting to let every know. Word spread quickly throughout the community. It was a sad night for everyone in Alexandria. Messages were sent to Hilltop and the Kingdom.

When Daryl and Michonne walked into the house, Maggie was waiting for them. She didn’t speak, couldn’t really. But she hugged them both hard and then left.  
Michonne used the upstairs shower and Daryl used the down stairs one. They met in the kitchen when they were done, where dinner was waiting for them. Michonne smiled, it was Daryl’s favorite. Spaghetti. Rick would have approved.  
They ate in companionable silence.  
“I’m leaving tomorrow….after.” Daryl told her.  
“I know.”  
“I’ll be checking on you, so you better eat and take care of that baby.”  
“I will.”  
Daryl grabbed her hand and squeezed it.  
“I wish you were staying.” She told him and meant it.  
“I’ll be by often.”

*************************************

When they went out the next morning, Ricks grave was covered in wild flowers. Michonne held Judith and Daryl held them both. They stood numb at the service while everyone else cried. They were all cried out. Daryl left as soon as it was over.

*****************************************  
One year Later……….

Six month old Rick Junior aptly called RJ played with his Daddy’s wedding ring which was on a cord around Michonne’s neck.  
“Uncle Daryl! Come push me!” Judith called from the swing that Daryl had hung for her on the tree that provided shade for Rick and Carl’s graves.  
“This is a special day, my loves, Daryl has come for a visit to see you and he has a dog, named… wait for it, ‘Dog’. She laughed, and looked over to see Dog running back and forth following Judith as she swung, barking the whole time. Judith was giggling at his antics which made both her and Daryl smile.  
“We can go on, we are going on. We love and miss you so much, but we’ll make you both proud by surviving and making this world a better place.


End file.
